Chronometric baby-tender.



S. P. WILSON & W. L. FIELD.

GHRONOMETRIG BABY TENDER.

APPLIoATIoN FILED rEB.24,1908.

Patented e18.11.26,;190'9.

S. I. WILSON da W. L. FIELD.

GHRONOMETRIG BABY TENDER.

APPLICATION FILED IBB.24, 1908.

Patented Jan. 26, .1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFFIoE.

SYLVESTR F. WILSON AND 'WILLIAM L. FIELD, 0F 'LOS ANGELES, CisLIFRNIA.

OHLONQEETRIC BABY-TENDER.

To all whom 'it may concern:

.Beit known that we, SYLvnsrun F. WinsoN and WILLIAM L. FIELD, citizensofthe United States, residing at Los Angeles,

Athe county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented-a newand useful Ohronometric Bab -Tender, .oi which the following is a s eclcation.

The object o this invention is to provide improved means `for soothingchildren and putting them to sleep by Aconstantly-recurrin movements inmeasured time.

1 he object is to mount a baby-crib and apply power to the baby-.crib sothat .it will have a softly-swaing motion in every direction in measurtime.; and my invention includes an open rectangular frame, a babycrib.,a series of springs for suspending the crib loosely with-m the .frame, aseries of springs for centralizing the .crib within .the frame, a motor,and a universally-yielding, adjustable connection between the motor andthe crib.

This invention relates to a tender having a resiliently-.supportedcarriage that may move down and up and laterally with an easy freedom ofmovement, and consists in novel meansv and combinations whereby themovement of the occupant of the babytender ma be effected in a su eriormanner Without jollss or j ars, and whio is 4adjustable for tendingbabies of ydHerent We' hts and for changes from 'heavy to light bed andvice versa, as the changes of the seasons occur.

The invention includes the novel appliance and various parts andcombinations of arts hereinafter particularly .described an claimed.

The invention may be embodied in various forms, and we do not lproposeto limit the same to any. specic construction.

The accompanying vdrawings illustrate the invention in the form at:present deemed most desirable.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an :appliance constructed in accordancewith `this invention. 2 is a plan lprojected from Fig. v1. k2t is afragmcnta detail 0f .one corner and side of Fig. 2. Fig. -4 is a .brokenend elevation. Fig. 5 is a .liragmental vdetail of a spring that is4partly shown .in 4. Fig. J6 is a detail side elevation of the.timiugdevice and re .fla-tor partly in section, viewed from the fof 4.Fig. 7 is adetail eleva- Specicati-on of Letters Patent.

Application led February 24, 1908. Serial No. 417,601.

Patented ian. se, 190e.'

gs. land. Figis -a section on line Flg. 4, showing motormechamism fromsame side as in 1. Fig. 9 is an fend elevation of the motorrnechanismfrom linear, Fig. 8.

1 is` a. suspended crib carriage or basket resiliently he d bysupporting s rings 2 and sta. -springs 3 which are carrie by a frame 4 tat surrounds the carriage l, and within which frame the carriage `1 maymove u and down and may also swing sldewise an. endwise.4

5 designates -a motor which4 may be of any suitable construction and maybe operated by electric or other power determined upon by theconstructor. In the drawings a spring motor is shown, the sameconstituting a part of this invention, for the purpose of applying thebroad idea of means-in 'the simplest and most' economical and convenientform for general use. I

tion from the left of Fi and 36 having casters 37 at .their lower :ends.to travel lon the floor; the 'upper side rails 38 and 39 connecting theposts 33, 3.4, and 35, 36, respectively; the upper'end rails 40 and 41Aconnecting the posts 33, 35, and 34, 36, respectively, and forming arectangular open .frame to receive the crib. The lower side rails 42 and.the lower .end rails 43 connect the este intermediate of their ends`and serve as races, and rounds 44 are inserted vertically between the uper rails `and .the lower rails. The frame time constructed is adptcd torun upon the loor so as to `be ea y moved from lace to place. Sills 45and 46 are inserte erosswise of the lower side rails 42 to support :themotor 5.

The crib 1 lcomprises the rectangular metal base 47 corres yending inshape to the rectangular frame 4 uit foomsiderablysmaller in size; therectangular wooden bottom 48 placed the base 47 and secured there- .tothe metallic rounds 49 extending upwardly trom the base 47; therectangular .inner .edge wire 50 secured to the upper ends of the rounds49; the braces 51 extending outwardly .and upwardly from near the l uper Aends of some lof the rounds 49; vand rihe frame 4 comprises posts33, 34, 35

the Way around the base 47 so as to form a complete inclosure consistingof a bottom and a vertical wall or fence and open at the top to receivethe baby.

Said motor is arranged to turn a crank 6 which is Connected by a rod 7with a resllient walking-beam 8 pivoted on a fulcrum- 111 a, carried bythe frame of the motor 5 an adjustably connected with the bottom of thecarriage or basket l.- The connecting means between said walking-beamand the basket is preferably adjustable in order to facilitate theregulation of the device for operation with different loads in thecarriage or basket.

For this pur ose said connecting means comprises a resi ient link 9connected to the resilient walking-beam on the other side of the fulcruma from the connecting rod, and a temper-screw 10 connected with thebottom of the carriage or basket b a universal joint 11 and connectedwith the ink 9 by a pivotal nut 12- Said temper-screw l0 is providedwith a handle 13 by which the screw may be turned, thus raising andlowering the nut 12 and thereby increasing or decreasing the tension ofthe spring that forms the walkingbeam 8. Preferably, said Walking-beamis formed of a fiat sheet-spring capable of being deliected from itsnormal resistance to stop the motor in case the opposite end of thewalking-beam is held stationary by the cari riage or basket. Other formsof spring may be used, but the flat form is at present deemedpreferable. The resiliency of the walking-beam is suflicient to move thecarriage or basket up and down when the Walking-beam is Worked by thecrank 6. When power is applied whereby the crank may be rotated and thecarriage or basket is free to respond to the impulse of theWalking-beam, the ap liance may be started into operation by pusiing upor down on the carnage and then releasing the same so that it will befreely carried by the spring. The force of the motor will then besuiicient to maintain the up-and-down motion of the carriage so long asthe carriage is free to respond to the forces at work. The eriod of theu -anddown movement of the carriage very much depend upon the load inthe carriage. The heavier the load the slower will be the movement; andit is important that` the impulse of the Walking-beam be given at thelntermediate position of such beam in order that the momentum of theload will operate tocarry the crank past the dead center. By adjustingthe temper-screw 10 to bring the Walking-beam to such intermediateposition: that is to say, a level position when the carriage is at rest,the appliance Will be made to operate freely whenever the carriage isstarte to move up and down.

In order that the appliance may be operated with the utmost convenienceand smallest expense, a spring motor is provided in which the springshaft 14 that is driven by the spring 15, carries the driving wheel 16which is constantly'in mesh with the Winding pinion 17 that is fixed tothe Winding shaft 187 and with the ratchet driving pinion 19 that 70drives the ratchet 20 which is carried by a wheel of a train 21 thatdrives the crankpinion 22 mounted on a shaft 23 on which the crank 6 isfixed. 24 is a detachable crank for the winding-shaft 18. The motor maybe wound by the crank 24 in the socket 25 on'the winding shaft 18. Asthe spring 15 is wound, the drivin Wheel 16 rotates in a directionreverse to tat indicated by the arrow in Fig. 8. When the winding hasbeen so accomplished the crank 24 may be Withdrawn, thus leaving thespring free to drive the driving-Wheel 16 in the direction of the arrowshown in Fig. 8, thus setting the train in motion to drive thecrank-shaft 23 when- 85 ever vertical oscillation of the carria e is setup. Such oscillation may be initiate by the movement of a child in thecarriage, or it may be initiated by the attendant. In either case, themotor operates to keep u the oscillation until stopped by externa force,or until the motor runs down or becomes ino erative. The crank and theresilient walliing-beam o erate as an escapement, and the weight of t ecarriage in the nature of a pendulum to cause a chronometric movement ofthe .carriage so long as the motor is operative or until the carriage isstopped by some external force.

The swivel nut 12 is connected with the link 9 by universal joint 26 sothat the operation ofthe device will not be interfered with by deectionsof the carriage from vertical position. The centralizing stay or springs3 are pivotally connected with the carriage at screws 27 to theintermediate rounds 49 of the sides and at the eyes 28 secured to therounds 49 of the ends of the carriage, and with eyes 29 at the cornersof the frame so that a limited endwisel and side- 110 Wise movement ofthe carriage will be allov'ed. v d v e suspen sp s 2 are fastened to theupper side irlfiixls SngQ, and to the upper end ralls 40, 41, of theframe, cured to the bottom of the crib or carriage, by the rods 53having eyes at their outer ends to receive (tihe (lirpos iat tlhe (findsdof the springs; sai ro e' ace un er the bottom -board 48 anduslcupi'edto the board 120 by screws, rivets `or nails 54; said rods 53 extendingoutwardly from, the bottom all the wayaround so as to centralize thecrib 1 relative'to the frame 4. ATwo sets of centralstay or guy springsare arranged at dif- 125 ferent levels, one set, 3,'being rovided at.the top of the frame, and fastene to the carriage about midway betweenits top and bottom, and the other set 3 being connected at 31- with thebottom of the carriage and at 32 130 and are se- Y Y ducing the load inthe carriage.

The crib or carriage 1 is suspended in the frame 4 by a series ofsprings extending all the way around so as to cushion the crib and allowit to move yieldingly in eve direction. The universal joint 11 shoul bea plied to the bottom 48 as near as practicable to its center so thatwhen the power is ap plied the tendency will be to move the cr1b almoststraight up and down, or so that power will be'. app ied equally to allparts of the crib. The connecting-rod 9 and the resilient w -beam 8provide-a cheap and sim le ylelding connection betweenthe power eviceand the crib thatis peculiarly adapted 1 to transmit the motion to thecrib gently and that aiords readyand convenient means for mterposingbetween the walking-beam and the crib, an adjusting device forincreasingandI decreasing the tension of the s ring through which the power istransmitte' I claim.:-

1. A frame, a carriage yieldingly mounted 1n the frame, a motor carriedby the frame and provlded with a crank, a resilient walkmg eam earned blthe frame, a temper screw loosely jointe to the carriage, a nut on thescrew, a link connecting an arm of the walking beam with said nut andmeans connecting the crank with the other arm of the walking beam.

`2. In a chronometric baby tender 1510"A vided with a resiliently-suported carriage, the mechamsm set forth fldr transmitting motion ronithetiming mechanism to the resiliently supported carriage, which transmittlmec nism comprises a walkingbeam ormed of a spring pivoted between itsends, and a connecting-rod and a crank whereby said spring is connectedat one end with the tlming mechanism; and a link, a pivotal nut, a screwand a universal joint whereby said pivoted spring is connected with thecarriage.

3. In a chronometric baby tender the combmatlon with a motor and aresilient1ysus pended carriage, of a spring pivoted between lts ends,means for transmitting motion i from the timing mechanism to one end ofthe pivoted pring and means connecting the other en of the pivotedspring wit the carria e.

4. n a chronometricbaby tender the combination with a motor and aresiliently suspended carriage, of a spring` pivoted between lts ends,means for transmitting motion from the timing mechanism to one end ofthe pivoted splring and adjustable means connect' the ot er end of thepivoted spring with the carriage.

5. A frame comprising the posts 33, 34, 35 i Aand 36, mounted on castersto travel on the floor; the upper side rails 38 and 39 connecting theposts 33, 34, and 35, 36, respectivel the upper end rails 40 and 41connecting t e osts 33, 35, and'34, 36, respectively, and i orming arectangular open frame; the crib 1 mounted loosely in the frame with thebottom of the crib below the top of the frame; vertical springs 2connecting the bottom of the crib to the top of the frame all the wayaround so as to centralize the crib; a motor, and) a'connection betweenthe motor and the er1 6. An open rectangular frame, the crib 1 mountedloosely in the frame, said crib comprising the rectangular metal base47, the wooden bottom 48 mounted within the base, the metallic rounds 49extending upwardly from the base, the rectangular inner edge wire 50secured to the upper ends of the rounds, the braces 51 extendingoutwardly and upwardly from near the-upper ends of some of the rounds49, the outer edge wire 52 secured to the braces 51, and the vertical suporting springs connecting the bottom of t e crib to the top of theframe.

7. A crib comprising a rectangular metal base, a wooden bottom securedto the base, metallic rounds extending upwardly from the base, an inneredge wire secured to the upper ends of the rounds, braces extendingoutwardly and upwardly from near the upper ends of some of the rounds,and an outery edge wire secured to the upper ends of the braces. e

8. A frame open and rectangular in plan, a crib loosely mounted withinthe frame, the bottom of the crib being below the top of the frame,springs `connectil? the crib to the frame a the way aroun so as to holdthe crib ina central position in the opening in the frame, a motor, theadjusting-,screw 10 connected to the center of the bottom of the crib bya universal joint, the adjustable pivot-nut 12 upon the adjusting-screw,the resilient connecting-rod 9 connected to the nut, and the resilientwalking-beam 8 pivotally mounted 'and connected to the connecti -rod 9and to the motor.

n testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands at Los Angeles,California, this 13th day of February, 1908.

SYLVESTER F. WILSON. WILLIAM L. FIELD.

esl

